Form

How to apply for a bat mitigation licence or request a change to an existing licence (A13)

Updated 19 December 2025

Applies to England

To apply for a mitigation licence, you need to complete an online application form. In the application you will be asked to complete and upload:

• a method statement – to show what you’ll do to reduce the impacts of the proposed work on bats
• relevant maps and figures as specified in the method statement
• a work schedule – to show when you’ll do the activities and in what order
• a signed declaration from either the applicant (the person, or company or organisation who will hold the licence), the named ecologist, or both

You may also need to provide:

• information about the licence purpose, if it is not for imperative reasons of overriding public interest (IROPI)
• a reasoned statement to show that the activity fits the criteria and that there is no satisfactory alternative – read the section, ‘Check whether you need a reasoned statement’
• references to show that the ecological consultant has the necessary experience to apply for a mitigation licence (references will not be needed if the consultant has been named on a mitigation licence for the same species issued in the last 3 years)

You must also get all necessary consents and include copies of them, or provide a link to the local authority’s planning portal.

If the work is part of a phased development (requiring more than one licence application) or multi-plot development, you must provide a:

• bat master plan
• habitat management and maintenance plan

To understand what needs to be included in your master plan, you can use the archived guidance on great crested newt master plan requirements as a guide.

To provide the relevant supporting evidence with your application: 

1. Download each required document and save it to your device. 

2. Complete each document with all the necessary information. 

3. Rename and upload the completed documents when prompted in the online application form.

Natural England will decide whether to issue a licence within 30 working days of receiving your application.

Method statement guidance

Use the European protected species (EPS) licensing policies

As part of your mitigation licence application, you may be able to use the EPS licensing policies to:

• reduce the level of survey you need to carry out
• reduce the mitigation requirements
• improve flexibility on where you create habitats as a compensation measure

Find out when and how to use European protected species policies to benefit EPS.

Use of safe roofing membranes

You must include a certificate that proves the roofing membrane has passed a ‘snagging propensity test’ if you’re using a non-bitumen coated roofing membrane.

A snagging propensity test checks that the membrane can stand the repeated snagging actions of roosting bats. To pass, a membrane must show no change in the average number of loops per cm² as rotations are increased from 0 to 1,000.

You do not need a certificate for bitumen 1F felt that has a non-woven, short fibre construction.

Check whether you need a reasoned statement

You may need to complete and upload a reasoned statement as part of your licence application, depending on your planned activity and its purpose. Some activities have exemptions.

Housing developments and home improvements

Some bat licence applications for home improvements and housing developments do not need a reasoned statement.

If your application is for overriding public interest, you only need to complete a reasoned statement if it is for any of the following:

• a housing development of more than one hectare impacting any of the following species – barbastelle, Bechstein, Alcathoe, greater horseshoe, lesser horseshoe, grey long-eared and Leisler’s
• home improvements or a housing development on or adjacent to special areas of conservation (SACs) or sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) where the impacted bat species is the qualifying feature
• home improvements or a housing development affecting any bat species population of regional importance – email Natural England at EPS.Mitigation@naturalengland.org.uk for further advice

For the purpose of bat licence applications, housing development activities also include:  

• existing buildings and associated structures that may need to be demolished before redevelopment takes place (whether domestic dwellings or other types of buildings)
• barn conversions for domestic dwellings (this does not include conversions for commercial use, such as holiday lets)

Home improvements include: 

• repairs and maintenance
• roof replacements, loft conversions and extensions
• renovations of existing domestic dwellings and associated structures, such as garages

Conserve and protect listed buildings, scheduled monuments or places of worship

You do not need a reasoned statement for bat licence applications to conserve and protect:

• listed buildings, if you are not proposing to extend buildings or structures or change their use
• scheduled monuments

You also do not need a reasoned statement for bat licence applications to conserve and protect registered places of worship or a place of worship belonging to the Church of England for:

• repairs and maintenance (including roof replacement)
• restoration
• essential works to prevent serious damage to buildings and structures (including contents), preserve public health and safety, or to enable continued appropriate use of the building or structure

If the bat population is of regional importance, you may still need to upload a reasoned statement as part of your application. Email Natural England at EPS.Mitigation@naturalengland.org.uk for further advice.

All other bat licence applications to conserve and protect listed buildings or places of worship will need a reasoned statement.

Maintain, repair or improve public buildings, or develop public land

Public buildings and public land includes buildings and land owned or leased by the government, their departments, agencies and arm’s length bodies, such as:

• schools
• hospitals
• prisons
• courts
• airfields

It does not include the Public Forest Estate or SSSIs.

You do not need to include a reasoned statement where bats and their roosts will be affected by:

• repairs and maintenance
• restoration
• renovation
• redevelopment of an existing building, which may include demolition before redevelopment, as long as it remains in use as a public building
• extending or adding new buildings within the grounds of the existing developed site
• essential works to prevent serious damage to buildings (including contents), preserve public health and safety, or to allow the building to be continued to be used as it was intended

If the bat population is of regional importance, you may still need to upload a reasoned statement. Email Natural England at EPS.Mitigation@naturalengland.org.uk for advice.

You must complete and upload a reasoned statement if you are extending public buildings beyond existing boundaries, changing them to private use, or developing land for private use.

Public utility works 

A public utility supplier can be a public or private company that provides public services such as: 

• energy (gas and electricity) 
• water 
• waste 
• transport (road and rail) 
• communications infrastructure 

You do not need to include a reasoned statement if bats and their roosts will be affected by: 

• repair, maintenance, restoration or renovation of existing infrastructure, such as bridges, tunnels or buildings 
• removal of infrastructure that’s no longer needed, such as a signal box 
• replacement or upgrading of existing public utility infrastructure 
• essential works to prevent serious damage to property, preserve public health and safety, or to allow continued intended and appropriate use of the infrastructure 

If you are constructing or installing new infrastructure, you do not need to include a reasoned statement where:  

• the impact to the bat roost is temporary and it will be restored to its original or a comparable state once works are complete 
• the original resource, shelter, protection and suitability as a breeding site or resting place will be available in the same place when works are complete 

You must include a reasoned statement for works to install new infrastructure that will cause a permanent loss of bat roost habitat.

Complete the reasoned statement form

Unless your activity meets one of the exemptions, you must complete an EPS reasoned statement and upload it when prompted as part of your application.

If your activity meets one of the exemptions listed in the previous section, you do not need to complete a reasoned statement. You must say in your application which exemption applies.

Request a change to an existing licence

If you need to make a change to an existing licence, you must:

• complete the licence modification request form
• include the licence reference number
• have both the ecologist and the licensee sign the form
• include any amended documents or figures, dated appropriately, as stated on your request form (highlight changes within documents and strikeout deleted text)

For a change of licensee, you must include with your licence modification request form:

• a letter or email from the previous licensee explaining what is proposed
• a letter or email from the new licensee confirming that they accept the agreed mitigation proposals relating to the licence
• the change of licensee or named ecologist form, with section 1 completed by the new licensee

For a change of named ecologist, you must include with your licence modification request form:

• a letter or email from the previous ecologist explaining what is proposed
• a letter or email from the new ecologist confirming that they accept the agreed mitigation proposals relating to the licence
• the change of licensee or named ecologist form, with section 2 completed by the new ecologist

If your licence was issued before 2015, meaning it includes a licensed method statement, you must: 

• provide a summary of progress stating what has been completed and what is left to complete
• provide a summary of the animals captured or disturbed during the licensed works so far
• include a list of the changes to the licensed method statement and other documents
• state whether there are any implications for the ‘favourable conservation status’ of the licensed species as a result of the proposed changes
• complete an updated method statement, dated appropriately, with all changes clearly highlighted (even if you only need to modify the work schedule)
• include all maps and figures that support your method statement

When you may need to pay

You may need to pay for this licence, or a change to your licence, for certain development work. At the end of the online application, or after submitting your licence modification form, you will be told:

• if you need to pay
• how much you’ll pay

Read the terms and conditions for paying for a wildlife licence.

How to pay

Natural England will send you an invoice if they approve your application.

You can pay by:

• electronic bank transfer
• debit or credit card by telephone - except American Express
• cheque

Your invoice will give details for these payment methods.

You need to include the invoice number with your payment so Natural England can match it to your application.

VAT does not apply to charges for wildlife licences.

Natural England accepts purchase orders. If you want Natural England to add a purchase number to your invoice, you must include it in the invoice details in your application form.

How to report your actions

You must report any actions you took using this licence using the European protected species return form.

You must report no later than 2 weeks after your licence expires, even if you’ve taken no action. You may also be asked to submit interim reports.

Send your completed form by post or email to Natural England using the details on the form.